KILN COMMUNITY
WE DID IT!
We are proud to announce that our community of supporters has given an incredible £97,487.95 to our Kiln Community Appeal. Donations large and small have enabled us to support our many communities during this time of need. You can read more about what the appeal has achieved below.
We want to say a heartfelt THANK YOU to every single person who gave so generously to make this possible.
Our commitment to our communities doesn’t end here. We can’t wait to welcome our communities back again and to share stories of different worlds and perspectives – ultimately discovering and celebrating all that connects us, rather than what divides us.
Thanks to this support:
• 10 Theatre-makers came together as part of 2 panel discussions to share experiences and advice on how to navigate the theatre industry collaboratively
• 12 Brent families accessed free English classes during the February half term
• 34 Freelance creatives created 2 live stream rehearsed play readings on our stage
• 10 Young people learnt about playwriting for the first time and worked on their own scripts which were then be performed on our stage by professional actors and with professional directors
• 33 Young people took part in online youth theatre workshops
• 104 Young people newly arrived in the UK took part in drama series sessions focused on building self-confidence and English-speaking skills
• 5101 Audience members tuned in across our various free live streamed projects
• 5960 Hot and nutritious meals were distributed for free to members of our local community as part of our continued partnership with Food For All and Meaty Buns
GIVE NOW
Your support enables us to make theatre for everyone. Make a difference today by setting up a recurring donation or making a single gift. All donations, whatever their size, are greatly valued.
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We have increased our Kiln Community Appeal target to £100,000 having smashed the original target of £70,000!
Thank you to all of our incredible supporters who made this happen.
The pandemic continues and there is still so much we want to do over the coming months to connect and support our many communities during this time of need.
If you can, please support our Kiln Community Appeal as we continue to connect our communities and prepare for the day we can finally welcome everyone back through our doors.
“This is a time of a lot of anger, pain and anxiety. But this time will pass and we will gather again to sing, dance and most importantly to heal. We need to listen to one another and be better. We’ve missed our audiences, supporters, our neighbours and local businesses, the many young people who come through our building everyday and inspire us, the staff who care so much and our community of actors, playwrights, creatives, musicians, backstage technicians and all the people that create the work you see on stage. The building is a shell without the energy and passion of all who come through our doors.” – Indhu Rubasingham, Artistic Director
READ MORE
FULL STATEMENT
It’s been a tough time for so many people. Many things are being questioned and things we took for granted are now absent. The world is deeply uncertain place.
It’s important that people stay safe and well, but it’s even more crucial that we look out for each other in our isolation.
Since our theatre closed to the public in March, we’ve realised -even more – how important our communities are.
And we miss you.
We’ve missed our audiences, supporters, our neighbours and local businesses, the many young people who come through our building every day and inspire us, the staff who care so much, and our community of actors, playwrights, creatives, musicians, backstage technicians and all the people that create the work you see on stage. The building is a shell without the energy and passion of all who come through our doors.
Over these past months, we’ve looked for every possible way to make a difference to our communities. We can’t wait until we can be together again in person, to share our stories of different worlds, different people, and different perspectives – so that we can discover more what connects us, rather than what divides us.
This is a time of a lot of anger, pain and anxiety. But this time will pass and we will gather again to sing, dance and – most importantly – to heal. We need to listen to one another and be better.
I’ve been deeply reminded of the power of theatre and the necessity of narratives to make sense of the world we find ourselves in. I’ve been reminded of the power of theatre in bringing people together to share an experience that has the possibility to transform.
We cannot exist without you.
Together we can get through this. We are the Kiln Community. Join us.
MESSAGES FROM INDHU, DAISY AND THE KILN THEATRE TEAM
16 JANUARY 2021
We wanted to share with you the wonderful news that we have been awarded London Theatre of the Year at The Stage Awards 2021.
This award is in recognition of the support and hard work from all of our Kiln communities – our brilliant and dedicated staff, the inspiring young people we work with, our audiences and supporters and the people who live and work in our beloved borough of Brent. This year we’ve tried to connect these communities as much as possible and we look forward to continuing to do so in 2021 and to play our role in the renewal and recovery to come.
We want to give particular acknowledgement and thanks to the theatre-makers – the freelancers; the people that tell the stories on our stages which we haven’t been able to do for such a long time. We need you and we cannot wait until we can get back to telling stories and doing what we do best – making theatre.
We couldn’t have achieved everything we did in 2020 without your support, friendship and belief in us. Thank you – as always – for your commitment to Kiln Theatre, which helps to make all this possible. We are looking forward to welcoming you back through our doors soon and we will keep you posted on all our news.
We recognise how tough it is for many people at the moment and for the whole theatre industry. We are really looking forward to getting back to live theatre and to sharing our productions with you. Here’s to a brighter 2021 for everyone.
2020 HIGHLIGHTS
JANUARY
Snowflake by Mike Bartlett directed by Clare Lizzimore
‘A provocative and tender vision of divided Britain that suggests there is no way forward if we don’t try to understand each other.’ Time Out
FEBRUARY
A Royal visit
Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall paid us a visit and met members of our Youth Theatre, Agents and staff as part of the launch of Brent 2020, London Borough of Culture.
MARCH
THE GUARDIAN BEST THEATRE SHOW OF 2020
Pass Over by Antoinette Nwandu
directed by Indhu Rubasingham
‘Electrifying, fiercely relevant and compelling. If, in these times, we are ever more in need of powerful and provocative political theatre, here it is.’ The Guardian
APRIL
Kiln Insight
We launched a series of free workshops and ways for people to learn and keep up-to-date whilst the theatre was closed.
You can still view directing workshops, writing courses, interviews and exclusive content here.
MAY
Minding the Gap
‘I learnt to never give up and be confident.’ Minding the Gap Participant
We moved our work with young people newly arrived to the UK online, gaining us a nomination for the Achates Philanthropy Prize.
JUNE
Our commitment to Young People
We commit even more fervently to our values and mission; to tell your stories, to listen to you, to provide as many opportunities as we can for you to speak and to make a theatre for all, where everyone is entitled. Click here to read more.
JULY
Honeymoon a live, online sharing of work from our 19-25 Young Company
Our Young Company activity focussed on sharing thoughts and emotions during the COVID-19 pandemic culminating in a live performance via Zoom.
AUGUST
Dear Future Generations an original film written and performed by our 16-18 Young Company
You can still watch our powerful manifesto-film about big dreams of the future, the mad world we’re in and how to reset the rules. Click here to watch now.
SEPTEMBER
Act One Beginners
Mikayla Moxam, a participant of our Production Arts course ‘Act One Beginners’, was awarded a full, 2-year scholarship at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts to study Scenic Art and Prop Making.
OCTOBER
The Agency
As part of Brent 2020, London Borough of Culture, we continued our work to support young Brent-based entrepreneurs between 15–25 years old develop ideas for social change in their area.
Check out the successful pitches here.
NOVEMBER
Food For All
We have partnered with Food For All to deliver over 200 hot meals every Tuesday from our front door. This work continues and local business Meaty Buns has also kindly contributed even more free food for us to distribute.
The project is supported by the Kiln Community Appeal.
DECEMBER
OUR FIRST LIVE STREAM OF THE REHEARSED READING OF
The Invisible Hand by Ayad Akhtar
directed by Indhu Rubasingham
‘A special shout-out must go to the production team of this thought-provoking piece for finding innovative ways of bringing theatre to the audience until the audience can come back to the theatre.’ North West End UK
Our Kiln Community projects continue, including our young writers’ programme, our Creative Engagement projects and our collaboration with London charity Food for All.
We’ll be in touch again soon.
We hope you are well and staying safe,
Kiln Theatre
19 FEBRUARY 2021
Today we announce a live stream of the staged rehearsed reading of Girl on an Altar – a newly commissioned work by Marina Carr, and Kiln Collaborations, a series of online panel discussions from leading industry figures. Both are supported by the Kiln Community Appeal. Also announced today, Tom Piper joins Kiln Theatre as Associate Designer and recruitment is live for brand new scheme Kiln Resident Assistant Designer which sees the creation of two opportunities for early career designers.
Our Artistic Director Indhu Rubasingham said: “As we continue to work on reopening it is important we keep finding ways to connect with our communities. The play-reading of Girl on an Altar is an opportunity for audiences to have an insight into a process of play to stage. They will be watching a commissioned play before its first production and will witness a part of the process rarely seen by the public. The Collaborations series will create much-needed conversations about how we want to collaborate and how we want to move forward as a whole industry. It is wonderful to have the opportunity to embed Tom Piper into the organisation, advocating for freelancers and to add a Resident Assistant Designer into our team. It is vital in these difficult times that we continually look at how to support and engage with the pathways into theatre careers.”
Update on our Kiln Community Appeal
Our Kiln Community projects are still going strong.
Food for All
We’re proud to be serving our local community and have now doubled the number of free meals we are giving each week from our building. Teaming up with Food for All, we have 300 hot, healthy, vegan meals to give out every Tuesday from 12pm and are proud to have delivered over 2,500 meals to members of our local community.
Young Writers Programme
We are thrilled to be running a playwriting course for new writers from Brent. Ten young people aged 18-25 are taking part in online writing workshops with Kiln’s New Writing Associate Tom Wright and working on creating their first short plays!
These projects are supported by donations to our Kiln Community Appeal. Thank you, from all of us at Kiln, to those who have already been so generous to us. All those who are supporting the Kiln Community Appeal are listed on our website. Read more here.
We’ll be in touch again soon.
We hope you are well and staying safe,
Kiln Theatre
6 MARCH 2021
Here at Kiln, we are feeling hopeful as recent government announcements give us the confidence to work on our reopening dates.
Things certainly feel different to when we announced our Kiln Community Appeal back in November. I am delighted to say that since then we have smashed our £70,000 fundraising target and that is down to all our incredible supporters. Thank you so much!
Our building might be closed but so much is going on behind the scenes – and this is just the beginning. Since we launched our appeal:
- 10 young people are learning about playwriting for the first time and setting to work on their own scripts which will be performed on our stage by professional actors
- 10 theatre-markers are coming together as part of 2 panel discussions to share experiences and advice on how to navigate the theatre industry collaboratively
- 12 Brent families built self confident and English language skills during free classes throughout February half term
- 33 young people are taking part in online youth theatre workshops, which will move back to in person as soon as possible
- 34 freelance creatives have created 2 live stream rehearsed play readings on our stage
- 104 young people newly arrived in the UK are taking part in drama sessions focused on building self-confidence and English speaking skills
- 1,783 audience members have tuned in to our free live streamed events
- 3,400 hot and nutritious meals have been distributed for free to members of our local community as part of our continued partnership with Food For All
I am proud to announce that today we are increasing our Kiln Community Appeal target to £100,000.
Our work does not end with us reaching our fundraising target. The pandemic continues and there is still so much we want to do over the coming months to connect and support our many communities during this time of need.
We want to continue our youth theatre activities, offer more English classes, support more freelance creatives, continue to partner with Food For All, reopen Kiln Theatre and Cinema with affordable ticket prices as soon as it is safe to do so, and much, much more.
In this way, we can continue to connect our communities and prepare for the day we can finally welcome everyone back through our doors.
We can’t wait to see you in person soon.
With very best wishes,
Indhu Rubasingham, Artistic Director
10 APRIL 2021
Thank you so much to everyone who has donated to our Kiln Community Appeal. We continue to support our many different communities in the lead-up to our reopening.
We have recently come to the end of our Young Writers Programme, supporting 10 young people from Brent to write their first ever play script via a four-month series of Zoom workshops. These brand new stories – performed by professional actors – were livestreamed from our stage over two evenings in March, with the support of professional theatre directors and creatives. Congratulations to all involved in this fantastic achievement and to the Young Writers for their creativity and passion. We can’t wait to see where you go next!
We can’t wait to welcome new and diverse stories to our stage once again, and to have the opportunity to thank you in person for your support.
Best wishes,
Tessa, Ama and Mishal
Kiln Theatre Fundraising Team
14 MAY 2021
Thank you so much for supporting our Kiln Community Appeal. We cannot tell you how grateful we are for the overwhelming response we have received. Thanks to your generous support we have raised nearly £94,000! This is incredible and humbling to receive in such a difficult time for so many. We are just £6,000 away from reaching our target of £100,000.
We continue to support our many different communities as we lead up to the reopening of our theatre and cinema. Through our partnership with London food charity Food For All and local business Meaty Buns, our brilliant volunteers have now handed out 5,330 free, hot and nutritious meals on Kilburn High Road.
We’re also working with our neighbours Brondesbury Medical Centre to become a COVID-19 vaccination hub for the day on Thursday 27 May, 10am-4pm, with more joint projects coming soon.
We are proud to have been able to continue our youth theatres and young companies this year, despite school closures at the start of 2021. 44 young people have been taking part in a series of theatre workshops both on Zoom and in person. Supported by a group of 8 wonderful freelance theatre practitioners, participants are learning a variety of topics across each project. This includes how to be an ensemble through Zoom, character relationships, physical characterisations, how to react through Zoom and creating a narrative arc through dialogue and conflict.
These are just some of the things happening behind the scenes at Kiln Theatre. There is still so much we have planned to support our many communities as we emerge from the pandemic and we continue to fundraise to make it all possible.
Thank you so much for all your support. We cannot wait to reopen our theatre on 21 May after 14 long months and to welcome you back through our doors. More news coming soon!
Best wishes,
Tessa, Ama and Mishal
Kiln Theatre Fundraising Team
21 JULY 2021
Through donations large and small, over the last few months Kiln Theatre supporters have given a whopping £97,487.95 to our Kiln Community Appeal! Having smashed our original target of £70,000, we got so close to reaching £100,000.
Thank you – from all of us here – to everyone who gave to this appeal. Your support has meant so much during such a difficult time for the theatre industry and also for our borough of Brent.
Thanks to this support:
- 10 Theatre-makers came together as part of 2 panel discussions to share experiences and advice on how to navigate the theatre industry collaboratively
- 12 Brent families accessed free English classes during the February half term
- 34 Freelance creatives have created 2 live stream rehearsed play readings on our stage
- 10 Young people learnt about playwrighting for the first time and worked on their own scripts which were then performed on our stage by professional actors and with professional directors
- 33 Young people took part in online youth theatre workshops
- 104 Young people newly arrived in the UK took part in drama sessions focused on building self-confidence and English-speaking skills
- 5101 Audience members tuned in across our various free live streamed projects
- 5960 Hot and nutritious meals were distributed for free to members of our local community as part of our continued partnership with Food For All and Meaty Buns
None of this would have been possible without our supporters. Thank you.
“Building the show across the last few weeks was so creatively fulfilling. It was a huge challenge and gave me such a wonderful outlet during this surreal time. Absolutely loved doing the show, and the support network we had with each other during it.” – Young Company participant of our digital production ‘Dear Future Generations’
YOUR DONATION WILL SUPPORT:
- Our Young Writers programme working with young local people, who are new to writing for theatre, to develop their skills
- Our Creative Engagement programme which includes Youth Theatres, a Young Companies and our Minding the Gap project which supports young people newly arrived in the UK to develop their language skills and confidence through drama
- Free English classes for adults in Brent, with free childcare
- A collaboration with a local GP surgery to support people living with diabetes in Brent
- A collaboration with charity Food For All to provide free hot meals once a week from our building to those in need
- Work on our stage
- The reopening of Kiln Cinema with low ticket prices to encourage all to attend
- Keeping our ticket prices affordable to make sure that everyone can experience the power of theatre
“Living next door, I walk by the Kiln everyday and continuously keep my fingers crossed that it will be able to open soon – it is the cultural bedrock of the community.” – Abaigh, Kiln Supporter and Local Resident
OTHER WAYS TO SUPPORT
- Spread the word – tell others about us! Share our projects, encourage donations, talk about us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram
- Join In – to hear about our volunteering opportunities, get in touch
Thank you
Thank you, from all of us at Kiln, for your support this year. You provided us with a lifeline during our most uncertain and difficult period and we are so grateful. Read here about your Solidarity and Support.
A huge thank you to our Kiln Community
Abbe Waghorn
Alan and Virginia Lynch
Alan Maclean and Jo Corkish
Alan Sandall
Alexander Beard
Alice Clifford
Alice Morgan
Alice Rowan
Alyson Burberry
Amanda May
Amanda Wilkin
Andree Molyneux
Aneta Stamenova
Anke Lueddecke
Ann Lewis
Ann Omomowo
Ann Pierce Jones
Anne Burgess
Anneke and Fred Mendelsohn
Anthony and Min May
Antoine Vaillant
Antonia Delgado
Antony Weatherhead
Assia Bandukda
Atalanta Goulandris and Stephane Gripari
Barbara Harrison
Barbara Rostas
Barrie Tankel
Barry Moore
Barry Serjent
Baz Bamigboye
Ben Siddall
Ben Weatherill
Beth Silver
Beverley Cushnie
Bianca Janssen Groesbeek
Bogdana Zoica
Brenda Beary
Brian Coyle
Bridget Somekh
C I
Camilla Sarayiah
Carol and Gary Fethke
Cath Attlee
Catharine Browne
Catherine and Richard Griffin
Catherine Marneffe
Catherine Pettem
Catherine Walker
Charles and Dafna Bonas
Cheri Class
Chris Webb
Christine Jude
Christine Strickett
Christopher Bevan
Christopher Hogg
Clare Brighton
Clare Doust
Claudia Sumner
Colin Adams and Mary Farrell
Colin Pollard
Colin Steward
Conor Gunn
D Michaels
Daniel Byam Shaw
Daniel Cooper
Dasha Theatricals
David Ackland
David and Audrey Boardman
David and Elizabeth Bromage
David and Iona Heath
David and Melanie Alpers
David Dutton and Mave Turner
David Edgar
David Highton
David King
And all those who wish to remain anonymous.
David Lanch
David Rice
David Rose
David Smith
Dawn James
Debbie Elliott
Demola Soremekun
Diana Bass
Diana Laurillard
Dipo Baruwa-Etti
Dominic Cooke CBE
Donald Jones
Doorstep Puppet Theatre
Dr Joan Gandy
Dr Lydia Estridge
Elaine Morris
Ella Taibel
Emma Merrells
Emma Tait
Eric Bensaude
Farah Elahi
Francis Jue
Francisco Furtado
Fred Dick
Fred Wilson
Freya Stanley-Price
Gemma Jackson
George Andrew
George Meyer
George Tomlinson
Geraldine Richards
Gillian Frumkin
Giovanna Piga
Glenn Overington
Gordon Walsh
Grace Moore
Grail Dorling
Grant and Julie Winstock
Happen Digital
Harry Hickmore
Hazel Rutledge
Helen Boaden
Helen Bygrave
Henry Chu and James Baer
Hinne Temminck Tuinstra
Hugh Easterbrook
I G and B Rappaport
Ian Laidlaw-Dickson
In memory of Vivienne Aldington
Jack Penford Baker
Jackie Rothenberg
Jacky Schloss
James Fitzgerald
Jane Daly
Jane Hassell
Janis Susskind OBE
Jean Appleyard
Jennie Allen
Jennifer Clark
Jennifer Pope
Jeremy Davies
Jeremy Lewison and Caroline Schuck
Jerry Kenber
Jim Carter and Imelda Staunton
Jim Thomas
John and Lola Deighan
John and Susan Coldstream
John Ingledew
John Oughton
Jon and NoraLee Sedmak
Jonathan Green
Jonathan Levy and Gabrielle Rifkind
Julia Bromage
Julie Perry
Kalyan Talluri
Kara May
Karin Pappenheim
Katherine Ronayne
Katie Blainey
Katie Bradford
Kay Willmott
Kei Hamada
Kiri Kankhwende
Kirti Patel
Kristian Marr
Lady Alison Irvine
Laure Duvoisin
Lesley Platz
Liz and Mark Astaire
Liz Kwast
Liz Walker
Lucia Garrido
Lucy Pujos
Lucy Williams
Lydia Spielberg
Lyn Meadows
Lynne McConway
Madeleine Hodgkin
Maggie Lindford
Margaret Lally
Margaret Styles
Mari Prichard
Marie Clarke
Marie-Christine Morris
Marion Machin
Marion Regan
Mark and Karen Stanley-Price
Marta Villar
Martin Enthoven
Martin Hall and Anne Heath
Mary and Jim Callaghan
Mary Arnold
Mary Spredbury
Marya Goga
Matthew Churcher
Matthew Greenburgh and Helen Payne
Maureen Preston
May Irving
Michael and Jenny Nathan
Michael Rahman
Michael Runnalls
Miles Clapham
Miles Essex
Miranda Persaud
Mishal Bandukda
Moyra McGarth Brown
Ms Marie Clarke
Nafeesah Butt & Davina Shah
Nancy Platt
Natasha D’Souza
Nefeli Sotiropoulos
Neil Bleakley
Nicholas Luckenbaugh
Nick Hern Books
Nicola Kerr
Nigel Pittman
Nina Kaye and Timothy Nathan
Nina Primeraki
Norman Bell
Oba Nsugbe
Pablo Anton Arnal
Paolo Levati
Pat Lister
Patricia and Joe McEvoy
Paul Grandidge
Peetra Anderson Figueroa
Penelope Humphris
Penny Badowska
Peter Hallgarten
Peter Lawrence
Philip Best
Philip Himberg
Philip Hooker
Pier Boulat
Pippa Moore
Polly Frame
Radia Bouziani
Rafaella Rossato
Rajen Dodhia
Rama Thapar
Rebecca and Stephen Sharkey
Richard Furniss
Richard Johnson
Richard Naylor
Richard Rawlinson
Rita Skinner
Robert Brown
Robert Coniglio
Robert Peel
Robin Wiener
Ron and Teresa Pringle
Rory Arnese
Ros and Alan Haigh
Ros Lewis
Rosemary McIntosh
Rosemary Morgan
Rosina Boham
Sacha Cammock
Sally Davis
Sally Pratt
Sam Cawley
Sam Charrington
Sandar and Steve Warshal
Sandra Davison
Sandra Reid
Sarah Leader
Saskia Alderton
Satish Jeram
Selena Arbe-Barnes
Shrina Tulsiani
Sid Sagar
Simon Furness
Simon Judge
Simon Taylor
Sinead McKenna
Sioban Whitney Low
Sita McIntosh
Sophie Cantopher
Stephanie Warshaw
Steve Goldring
Sue Fletcher
Sue Spence
Susan Bruegger
Susan Bush
Susan Davies
Susan Johnson
Susan Yeomans
Swetha Charles
Tatiana Chater Davies
TC Thomas
Terry Agriss
Tessa Stanley-Price
Tibor Gold
Tim and Cathy Score
Tom Happold
Tom Heath
Tom Hunter
Tom Proffitt
Tom Young
Vera Nunes
Verna Doe
Veronica Crosbie
Victoria Tham
Viji Rajagopalan
Virginia Carpio
William Conacher
William Hesselmann
Zanna Beswick
Zoe Perry
Special thanks to Happen Digital for creating the video for the Kiln Community campaign
https://happendigital.co.uk/
https://www.instagram.com/HappenDigital/
https://twitter.com/happendigital
Any questions?
To discuss your support get in touch with the Fundraising team on give@kilntheatre.com
Promise to supporters
We believe that every supporter has a right to know how their donation is spent. Our Promise to Supporters tells you how we intend to communicate with you and how we would like to recognise your support. It also tells you how we respect you as a donor and how we aim to be as transparent as possible in everything that we do.